A
Native American Tale
Once upon a time, when the
Field Mouse was out gathering wild beans for the
winter, his neighbor, the Buffalo, came down to graze
in the meadow. This the little Mouse did not like,
for he knew that the other would mow down all the
long grass with his prickly tongue, and there would
be no place in which to hide. He made up his mind to
offer battle like a man.
"Ho,
Friend Buffalo, I challenge you to a fight! "he
exclaimed in a small, squeaking voice.
The
Buffalo paid no attention, thinking it only a joke.
The Mouse angrily repeated the challenge, and still
his enemy went on quietly grazing. Then the little
Mouse laughed with contempt as he offered his
defiance. The Buffalo at last looked at him and
replied carelessly:
"You
had better keep still, little one, or I shall come
over there and step on you, and there will be nothing
left! "
"You
can't do it! "replied the Mouse.
"I
tell you to keep still,"insisted the Buffalo,
who was getting angry. "If you speak to me
again, I shall certainly come and put an end to you!
"
"I
dare you to do it! "said the Mouse, provoking
him.
Thereupon
the other rushed upon him. He trampled thc grass
clumsily and tore up the earth with his front hoofs.
When he had ended, he looked for the Mouse, but he
could not see him anywhere.
"I
told you I would step on you, and there would be
nothing left! "he muttered.
Just
then he felt a scratching inside his right ear. He
shook his head as hard as he could, and twitched his
ears back and forth. The gnawing went deeper and
deeper until he was half wild with the pain. He pawed
with his hoofs and tore up the sod with his horns.
Bellowing madly, he ran as fast as he could, first
straight forward and then in circles, but at last he
stopped and stood trembling. Then the Mouse jumped
out of his ear, and said:
"Will
you own now that I am master? "
"No!
"bellowed the Buffalo, and again he started
toward the Mouse, as if to trample him under his
feet. The little fellow was nowhere to be seen, but
in a minute the Buffalo felt him in the other ear.
Once more he became wild with pain, and ran here and
there over the prairie, at times leaping high in the
air. At last he fell to the ground and lay quite
still. The Mouse came out of his ear, and stood
proudly upon his dead body.
"Eho!
"said he, "I have killed the greatest of
all beasts. This will show to all that I am master!
"
Standing
upon the body of the dead Buffalo, he called loudly
for a knife with which to dress his game.
In
another part of the meadow, Red Fox, very hungry, was
hunting mice for his breakfast. He saw one and jumped
upon him with all four feet, but the little Mouse got
away, and he was terribly disappointed.
All
at once he thought he heard a distant call:
"Bring a knife! Bring a knife! "
When
the second call came, Red Fox started in the
direction of the sound. At the first knoll he stopped
and listened, but hearing nothing more, he was about
to go back. Just then he heard the call plainly, but
in a very thin voice, "Bring a knife!"Red
Fox immediately set out again and ran as fast as he
could.
By
and by he came upon the huge body of the Buffalo
lying upon the ground. The little Mouse still stood
upon the body.
"I
want you to dress this Buffalo for me and I will give
you some of the meat,"commanded the Mouse.
"Thank
you, my friend, I shall be glad to do this for
you," he replied, politely.
The
Fox dressed the Buffalo, while the Mouse sat upon a
mound near by, looking on and giving his orders.
"You must cut the meat into small pieces,"
he said to the Fox. When the Fox had finished his
work, the Mouse paid him with a small piece of liver.
He swallowed it quickly and smacked his lips.
"Please,
may I have another piece?" he asked quite
humbly.
"Why,
I gave you a very large piece! How greedy you
are!"exclaimed the Mouse. "You may have
some of the blood clots," he sneered. So the
poor Fox took the blood clots and even licked off the
grass. He was really very hungry.
"Please
may I take home a piece of the meat?"he begged.
"I have six little folks at home, and there is
nothing for them to eat."
"You
can take the four feet of the Buffalo. That ought to
be enough for all of you!"
"Hi,
hi! Thank you, thank you!" said the Fox.
"But, Mouse, I have a wife also, and we have had
bad luck in hunting. We are almost starved. Can't you
spare me a little more?"
"Why,"declared
the Mouse, "I have already overpaid you for the
little work you have done. However, you can take the
head, too!"
Thereupon
the Fox jumped upon the Mouse, who gave one faint
squeak and disappeared.
If
you are proud and selfish you will lose all in the
end.
